President Donald Trump early Tuesday threatened to impose a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne in an effort to pressure France to join his intergovernmental Board of Peace organization. read more
On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to cut Americans' energy bills in half -- cheaper gasoline, cheaper electricity. He also said he'd "unleash" American energy production, often repeating the catchphrase "Drill, baby, drill."
The U.S. Geological Survey, the federal government's earth sciences arm, discovered new oil and gas reserves in the Permian Basin -- enough to supply the United States for 10 months. read more
Britain's so-called Brexit wars dominated parliament for years. Now the Labour government is bracing for new battles as it eyes legislation to move closer to the European Union. read more
The president has intensified his criticism of Canada in private conversations with aides in recent weeks over what he sees as the country's vulnerability to U.S. adversaries in the Arctic. read more
@#7 ... If you are running XWayland try switching to XOrg. ...
Federal government loses Emergencies Act appeal, court says use during convoy protest was unreasonable
www.cbc.ca
... Federal Court of Appeal upholds decision that protest did not meet threshold of national security threat
...
How we got here
What began as a protest largely against vaccine requirements attracted thousands of people to the capital for weeks, many in trucks, who had a slew of grievances aimed at Trudeau and his government. ...
@#9 ... Trump will destroy the dollar before he leaves office. ...
Trump trade advisers plot dollar devaluation
www.politico.com (April 2024)
... Economic advisers close to former President Donald Trump are actively debating ways to devalue the U.S. dollar if he's elected to a second term -- a dramatic move that could boost U.S. exports but also reignite inflation and threaten the dollar's position as the world's dominant currency. ...
@#28 ... Bruce Springsteen slammed President Donald Trump and the federal crackdown on immigrants during a surprise performance Saturday in his home state of New Jersey. ...
Red Bank, NJ, to be specific.
One of the advantages of being in the NYC media area ...
And from nj.com ...
Springsteen tells ICE get the f--- out,' pleads for America's future at surprise N.J. performance
www.nj.com
... Nearing the end of his surprise performance in Red Bank Saturday night, Bruce Springsteen paused to address the crowd, hoping not to be "out of order" and disrupt the benefit concert's otherwise convivial atmosphere.
Springsteen began to explain the origin of his 1978 song "The Promised Land," noting "I wrote this song as an ode to American possibility, it was (about) both the beautiful but flawed country that we are, and to the country that we could be."
Springsteen, 76, then pivoted to condemnation, urging the audience inside the Count Basie Center for the Arts to stand against the Trump administration's deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in American cities, particularly in Minneapolis. ...
@#36 ... Marching as to war ...
Industry- State Of The Nation (1983)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics ...
...
[Verse 1]
I see them marching off to war
They're looking so heroic
I'm told they won't be gone for long
But that's a lie and they know it
Ten thousand gone they won't return
Never to be seen again
Strategic games is all we learn in the end
But they say
[Chorus]
Don't you worry about the situation
A message from the telephone
They out there fighting for the state of the nation
I'm waiting a chance to come home
They always have to fight the alienation
And realize I'm fighting alone
...
Bruce Springsteen condemns Trump over ICE actions in Minneapolis during surprise concert
www.kare11.com
... Bruce Springsteen slammed President Donald Trump and the federal crackdown on immigrants during a surprise performance Saturday in his home state of New Jersey.
During his comments at the Light of Day Winterfest Concert, Springsteen dedicated a song to the memory of Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
The legendary rocker called on federal agents to leave Minneapolis and for fans of his music to tell Trump the same.
Springsteen then dedicated his 1978 song "The Promised Land" to Good's memory, according to cellphone video from the performance shared by NJ.com and other outlets.
"Right now, we are living through incredibly critical times. The United States, the ideals and the values for which it stood for the past 250 years is being tested as it has never been in modern times. Those values and those ideals have never been as in danger as they are right now," Springsteen said.
"If you stand against heavily armed masked federal troops invading an American city using gestapo tactics against our fellow citizens.
If you believe you don't deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, then send a message to this president because the mayor of that city has said ICE should get the f--k out of Minneapolis.
And this song is for you and in the memory of a mother of three, an American citizen, Renee Good," he added. ...
@#5 ... The last time Denmark sold an island to the US was in 1917 ...
People Just Discovering Last Land Denmark Sold to the US Was Epstein Island
www.newsweek.com
... As President Donald Trump continues to push to buy Greenland, some people are just finding out that the last major territory the United States bought from Denmark was in 1917 -- the Danish West Indies, now the U.S. Virgin Islands.
But a lot of social media users are jokingly pointing fingers at a much smaller, much more infamous island in the Virgin Islands that was part of the 1917 acquisition -- Little Saint James, more commonly known as Epstein Island.
Jeffrey Epstein's private Caribbean island was never sold to the United States -- but it is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands that was later purchased by Epstein himself. That has not stopped online jokes and shock from people making the connection for the first time. ...
@#2
imo, if Pres Trump is successful in getting data centers to pay for the additional costs they cause on our utility bills, then it might be the first thing Pres Trum has done that I agree with.
Trump unveils plan to shift power costs to AI data centers
www.washingtonexaminer.com
... Trump administration officials and a bipartisan group of governors announced a plan Friday to tackle high electricity prices by essentially having giant technology companies pay for the construction of new power supplies in the area managed by the largest United States grid operator. ...
Will he follow through and actually accomplish that?
Time will tell.
I'll judge the success of his plan by how much my electricity bill drops ...
... a draft version obtained by The Associated Press ...
A look at Trump's Board of Peace and who has been invited
apnews.com
... The board's charter has not yet been made public, but a draft version obtained by The Associated Press indicates much of the power will be concentrated Trump's hands. A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership, the draft says. ...
When asked by a reporter Tuesday if the board should replace the U.N., Trump said, "It might." ...
A draft charter for the board, obtained from a European diplomat and confirmed by a U.S. official as accurate as of Monday, uses expansive language to describe its ambitions.
It emphasizes "the need for a more nimble and effective international peace-building body" and says "durable peace" requires "the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed." It adds an aim to "secure peace in places where it has for too long proven elusive."
Under the charter, the chairman -- which Trump says will be him -- has the power to invite member states, break any ties in a vote, decide how frequently it meets, and create or dissolve subsidiary entities.
The expenses of the Board of Peace will be funded by contributions from member states, which serve three-year terms. Members who pay "more than one billion United States dollars in cash" during their first year can have a permanent place on the board, the draft says.
The draft is under constant revision, is not finalized and may undergo significant changes, according to the U.S. official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. ...
@#7 ... Something tells me China is sitting back watching, smiling and very pleased with it's previous decoupling efforts. ...
My guess would be that other nations are also now looking to decouple from the US.
International agreements rely upon coherent and common strategies.
And not the whimsical day-by-day approach that Pres Trump seems to proffer.